


The Younger They Are

by dontlietomehoney



Category: Marianas Trench
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-26
Updated: 2014-01-26
Packaged: 2018-01-10 02:51:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1153883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dontlietomehoney/pseuds/dontlietomehoney
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Matt's birthday and he is waiting for the others to show up at the bar, but while he is waiting Matt gets nervous and decides to have another drink before hiding in the bathroom. When his vision starts blurring, Matt realizes he was drugged.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Younger They Are

It was Matt’s birthday, and he was currently sitting in the back of a bar, alone. Josh, Mike, and Ian had called him, telling him to wait in a specific place at a specific time, but he had already been waiting for thirty minutes. He knew he would keep waiting though.

He hated to admit it but he needed those three guys. They were his family, and it always made him feel better when they were around. Now though, with him sitting alone and just hoping they would all walk through the front door of the bar, Matt was getting a little anxious. There was a group of girls sitting at the bar that would look back at him and giggle. Somehow the group was getting bigger, like a few would trickle in and they would all point Matt out to the new comers, and then wave more people over.

The guitarist waved a waitress over and quickly ordered another whiskey. She nodded and apologized for all the commotion. Matt smiled too, chewing awkwardly at his nails and told the girl it was okay. He had gotten a little more used to the attention since Marianas Trench had a better following in the states, but back home, there was just more people, all the time. He didn’t want to admit it was a little nerve wracking, all the people staring at him, always asking for hugs and autographs and pictures and even suggesting very inappropriate things. He wasn’t going to lie, he loved that people liked their music, but sometimes it just got to be too much. And he sure as hell didn’t want to have to deal with it on his birthday.

Matt bit his lip and looked down at his phone, his thumb hovering over Josh’s number. He wasn’t sure if he should call or not. He felt like he was overreacting, but damn, where the hell were they? And some of those girls from the group were inching closer.

The waitress came back and set his drink down on a new napkin and took away the old one. Matt thanked her and sipped at it slowly. He frowned though; it tasted a little different than his last one. Maybe the waitress got it wrong? Hell it was just supposed to be a whiskey. Matt shrugged and sipped a little more of the amber liquid anyways. He glanced back over at the group at the bar, the numbers having grown ridiculously. There were now men and women just whispering and glancing at him, probably trying to figure out if he was really _the_ Matt Webb.

Matt stood abruptly, slamming back the rest of his drink, and hurried to the bathroom. The guys had just said to wait in the bar; they didn’t say he had to wait out in the open.

He pushed into one of the bigger stalls and slumped against the wall. He didn’t know why, but that was a huge relief. His head was spinning a little bit, and he wasn’t sure why. He pulled his phone out again, rubbing at his eyes when he realized his vision was blurring around the edges.

“Oh shit,” Matt whispered and quickly hit the call button on his phone.

His heart was racing in his chest and he felt sweat bead across his forehead.

_ring…ring…ring…_

“Pick up the fucking phone Ramsay!” Matt grumbled. His tongue was feeling thicker in his mouth and his eye lids were drooping.

_ring…ri-_

“Matty!!” Josh sang, “It’s the birthday boy!”

Matt snapped to attention at the singer’s voice. “Joshy, where the hell are you guys?”

“We’re right around the corner babe! We’ll be there soon, sorry we are so damn late.”

Josh went on to explain why, but Matt wasn’t really listening. “Joshy,” Matt mumbled.

His vision was starting to black in and out, he thought he might have heard the door to the bathroom open but he wasn’t sure anymore.

“Joshy,” he tried again.

“What is it Matty? You sound a little drunk already.”

Matt sucked in shallow breaths, trying to stay focused. He could definitely hear someone in the bathroom now, but he pushed that aside.

“Fuck, I- I thin’ th’r was somefin’ in my dr’k Josh,” Matt slurred.

“What? Matt are you okay? Matt!”

Matt could still hear the singer’s voice calling out to him from the phone, even after he couldn’t hold it anymore and it dropped to the bathroom floor. His legs felt like lead, and he slumped further down the wall, until he too was on the floor, his head lolling to the side as he tried to figure out what was going on.

He just couldn’t focus anymore.

Through hazy vision, Matt could see the door of the stall he was in swing open. He frowned; he thought he had locked that. A tall shadow stood over him, pausing to look down at him before leaning down.

“Mmm…whooo…” Matt couldn’t even form a sentence.

Strong arms threaded under Matt’s and lifted him up.

*          *          *

“What do you mean?” Ian questioned.

Josh grunted in frustration as he hurried down the street. He could see the bar a little further down the road, and he was trying to get there fast. He finally just kicked his feet into gear, pounding against the pavement and running full out.

“Matt’s in trouble,” Josh shouted over his shoulder. “Just hurry the hell up so we can find him!”

Mike and Ian didn’t argue anymore, quickly catching up to the singer and running beside him. They reached the bar in record time and pushed in the front entrance. Splitting apart, they all looked in different directions, scanning the room for their friend. None of them could spot him though, and Josh moved quickly over to the bar, waving over the man behind the counter.

“What can I get you?” The man asked.

“I’m looking for my friend, he was here waiting for us, but I don’t see him. Do you maybe know where he is?” Josh asked.

“Well what’s he look like?”

“A little shorter than me, brown hair, probably wearing that stupid leather jacket I hate.”

The man smirked at the last comment, but shook his head. “No I don’t really know who-”

“Do you mean that guy that was sitting in the corner booth?” A girl suddenly appeared.

Josh spun around, his shoulders brushing against Mike and Ian’s as they zeroed in on the girl. “You saw Matt?” Josh asked.

“If he was the poor guy that looked really nervous…”

“Kind of awkward?” Mike asked.

“Really awkward,” Ian added.

“Well, yeah. He ordered a couple whiskeys. He was wearing a leather jacket like you said,” the girl motioned to Josh. “I think he was getting a little uncomfortable ‘cause of all the attention from the other customers.”

Josh, Mike, and Ian glanced around to realize that many of the people sitting close to them were staring, one girl even had her phone out and a faint clicking of a camera could be heard. Josh frowned.

“Did you see where he went?” He asked.

The girl tossed a towel onto her shoulder and bobbed her head to one side. “That a way. I think he was going to the bathroom.”

Josh felt relief flood through him as he thanked the girl and darted off towards the restrooms. Mike and Ian were on his heels, and when Josh slammed through the door he skidded to a halt. His heart hammered in his chest when he initially thought the room was empty, but it damn near burst through his chest when he heard heavy breathing coming from one of the larger stalls at the opposite end of the bathroom. The singer jetted forward and pulled hard on the handle of the stall door, harder than he needed to as it wasn’t locked, and let out a loud shout at what he found there.

Matt was pressed against the tiled wall by a larger man crowded in close to his chest. The younger man’s eyes were unfocused, his head lolling back against the tile, and the man pressed against him had his arms wrapped around Matt’s waist to physically hold him up from falling. The instant Josh had the door open though; his shout having frightened the man, the guy was pulling his mouth away from Matt’s neck and dropping the guitarist to the floor. Matt slumped down, a soft groan escaping his lips as the stranger barreled past Josh, shoving the singer back.

“Hey!” Josh shouted.

Mike was right there though, catching the man around the waist and spinning him around. Josh grabbed at the bigger man’s jacket and threw his fist forward, catching the man in the jaw. The guy retaliated in rapid motion, kicking up and catching Josh in the stomach with a heavy boot, using the momentum to force Mike back as well. Josh slammed back into the wall before sliding to the floor, his shoulder catching something metal. Mike wrestled the man to the floor though, loud grunts sounding as they both exchanged punches. Ian was the only one left standing and the curly haired man ran to the door, yelling something out that Josh couldn’t hear.

The singer was just trying to catch his breath again, tears prickling his eyes as he sucked in heavy breaths. He pushed up onto his hands and knees, wincing at the motion, and crawled forward into the stall where Matt was still slumped against the wall. He crowded close to the younger man and laid his hand on Matt’s cheek.

“Matty?” Josh asked softly.

The younger man stirred slightly, his eyes fluttering as he made a gurgling sound in the back of his throat.

Josh rubbed his thumb back and forth over Matt’s jaw, tilting the guitarist’s face up to try and make him look at him.

“Come on Matty, where’s that birthday boy?”

Matt’s eyes fluttered again, and finally opened into slits. He frowned, looking at Josh in confusion. “D’n’ f’l good J’shy…”

The singer nodded. “I know, fuck, I know. We’re gonna get you outta here though. Okay?”

Matt didn’t even respond, his eyes falling shut as he slumped against the singer’s chest. Josh would have panicked more but Matt gave a small nod against Josh’s shoulder. The singer let out a puff of air and quickly checked outside the stall. Mike had a bloody nose, his left eye already smudged with black, but he had the other guy flat on the ground. And somehow the singer had missed other people coming into the bathroom as well. The guy that had been behind the counter was talking into his phone, and another man Josh didn’t recognize at all was moving forward to help Mike up from the floor.

Ian suddenly crouched by Josh’s side, getting right in the singer’s line of vision. “Is he okay?”

Josh looked down at the younger man in his arms, pulling Matt against him closer, and nodded. “I think so. Fuck, I don’t really know. When he called he said there was something in his drink, and I think he was right.”

Ian frowned and looked back at the man lying unconscious on the bathroom floor.

Josh ran a hand through his hair, “Jesus, Ian, what if we didn’t get here in time? Fuck, this shit isn’t supposed to happen, especially not to Matty.”

The curly haired man patted at Josh’s shoulder, “I know. We’ll take him home. We’ll take care of him.”

Grateful for the older man’s reassurance, Josh nodded and then accepted the arm Ian put out to stand. It was hard to do with Matt still leaning fully against him, but Josh was able to do it. He noticed the guitarist’s phone lying on the floor too and Ian picked it up for him when he asked. Josh slipped it into Matt’s back pocket before twisting the younger man in his arms and dipping down to pick him up bridal style.

Matt let out a soft moan, but seemed to be out of it nonetheless. Josh carried him out of the stall and through the bathroom, pausing to give a kick to the unconscious man’s leg.

*          *          *

Josh was exhausted by the time they all finally got back to their shared house. They had had to stay for statements with the police, and it had taken so long. The sky was already lighting up outside the bedroom window. Josh had also carried Matt all the way home. He assured the cops that the younger man was okay, Matt groggily waking up every once and a while before just falling limp in Josh’s arms again. The officer looked a bit skeptical but had allowed Josh to carry the guitarist away, Mike and Ian right behind him.

“I’m so sorry Matty,” Josh whispered to the sleeping form beside him.

He had brought the younger man to his own bedroom, laying him softly on the bed before climbing in after him. It wasn’t long after though, that Josh realized Matt was sweating, so he helped the younger man out of his jacket, boots, and shirt. He did the same for himself and fell heavily back on the mattress.

Matt just continued to sleep, snoring softly beside the singer.

“How’s he doing?” A voice whispered from the doorway.

Josh rolled over and found both Mike and Ian walking into the room. He sighed and looked back at the younger man beside him. “He’s still just sleeping.”

The bed dipped by Josh’s hip and the singer looked to find Mike sitting by his side. “How about you then?”

Josh shook his head. “Don’t worry about me.”

Mike nodded silently and looked over to Matt again. “Okay. What are we going to do when he wakes up?”

The singer carded his fingers through his hair and tugged at the strands. “We’re gonna give him a happy birthday.”

“What?” Ian asked.

“He deserves something good after all this shit just went down. We’re gonna give him a happy birthday,” Josh repeated.

“Should I bake something?” Ian asked, his brow still furrowed in uncertainty.

“A cake? He likes chocolate,” Josh murmured.

“I think we have a box mix in the pantry,” Mike offered.

“That would be great,” Josh told him.

The older men both nodded and moved closer to the door. “What will you do?”

Josh waved his arm at them. “I’m going to be here for him. Maybe sing for him.”

Mike chuckled at that. “Don’t you think he’s a little tired of your voice Ramsay?”

The singer couldn’t help the little smile that curved his lips at the older man’s attempt to lighten the mood. “You would think, but he tells me every day that he loves it.”

Mike’s eyes softened, and even in the dimness of the room, Josh could see the change in his features. “Fucking love birds,” he murmured with a smile.

Josh smiled too. “Yeah. I know.”

“Well, we better get to making that cake then. We’ll want it to be ready pretty soon I’d think,” Ian rubbed his hands together.

Mike nodded and followed the curly haired man out of Josh’s bedroom. The singer let his head fall back down to the soft pillows behind him and rubbed a hand over his face. He turned onto his side, facing Matt, and hesitantly let his arms wrap around the younger man’s waist.

“Matty,” he whispered aloud.

He scooted closer to the younger man on the bed until he was pressed against Matt’s side. Josh didn’t want to let him go, so it was while he was holding the younger man that he fell into a light sleep.

*          *          *

Matt’s head was pounding when he finally woke up. He didn’t even remember going to bed. The guitarist tried moving around on the mattress, but found he was pinned down by a heavy weight. He cracked his eyes open, the soft light in the room harsh against his eyes. When he looked down though, he found a head of blond and blue hair.

“Josh?” Matt murmured.

He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to figure out what was going on. Last he remembered Josh had called him and told him that they were all going to meet up at some bar.

Wait.

Matt scrubbed a hand over his face.

There was more than that. He had made it to the bar. But… what had happened after that? Fuck, Matt’s head was just hurting so bad. Maybe he had gotten drunk? Was this a hang over? He didn’t feel nauseous.

Matt’s eyes snapped open when he felt movement from the man draped over his chest. Josh was never a sound sleeper, always moving, or rarely sleeping at all, and he often woke Matt up with how much he tossed and turned at night. Matt put his arm around the older man’s shoulders, gripping his right shoulder softly. Josh sucked in a breath though, even in his sleep, and shied away from the touch.

Just as the singer’s eyes were blinking open, his head pulling away from the younger man’s chest, Matt caught sight of a deep bruise marring Josh’s back. The singer groaned softly and rubbed at his eyes.

“Mmm… Matty?” Josh asked.

His voice was mostly gravel, but Matt was used to that, it even calmed him a bit hearing the familiar sound.

“Joshy,” Matt breathed. “What happened to your b-”

The singer suddenly jolted though, his sleep fogged mind coming into sharp focus. “Matt! You’re awake! How are you feeling, are you okay?”

Matt’s head pounded as the singer badgered him with questions. He pushed up onto his elbows at first, taking a deep breath before sitting up fully. Josh sat up too, pressed against Matt’s side.

“Matty, just tell me if you’re okay, alright?” The singer urged.

“I’m fine babe, head hurts though. What happened to your back?” Matt tried again.

Josh looked relieved before brushing the younger man’s question aside. He smiled widely and brushed his lips softly over Matt’s. “Happy birthday baby.”

“Josh,” Matt frowned. His thoughts were all jumbled anyways, but he was positive his birthday had been last night. “That was yesterday.”

The singer pouted, his bottom lip pushing out. “Does that mean you don’t want your presents then?”

Matt couldn’t help the smile that curved his lips. “Why didn’t I get them last night?”

Josh suddenly looked very angry and very worried all at once. “I- Matty I just want to give you your presents. Mike and Ian made you something too.”

Matt was becoming a little worried. “Okay,” he spoke softly.

The singer smiled tightly before he started to scoot off the bed and pulled Matt with him. When they were both standing Matt realized they were both still wearing jeans. Before he could ask why though, Josh was pressing into Matt’s back, wrapping his arms around his waist and leading him out of the room. Matt could feel Josh humming softly, the vibrations running through Josh’s chest and into Matt’s back, and laughed when he caught that he was humming ‘Happy Birthday’.

“Josh c’mon. What’s with all the birthday stuff today?”

Josh just continued leading him down the hallway, their steps slow and deliberate. The singer didn’t want to admit that he was purposely doing that just in case Matt was feeling dizzy or sick. He just wanted Matt to be okay, and even if the younger man seemed to be doing just fine after having slept for so many hours, Josh was still scared for him.

The singer feathered kisses over Matt’s neck and held him close even when he felt the burst of pain along his ribs and stomach. He was silently beating himself up for not thinking of putting a shirt on. He knew he would be bruised, hell Matt had already seen his shoulders, but he knew his front was worse.

When they got to the kitchen Ian was already sitting at the table, a cup in his hand. The curly haired man glanced up when he heard Josh’s humming and smiled wide.

“Matt! ‘S good to see you up finally. Mike and I made you something, and I bet you’d love it for breakfast,” Ian chirped happily.

“Why’s everyone so damn happy today? All kinds of fucking cheerful,” Matt laughed.

Josh just nuzzled into Matt’s hair, his nose pressing softly against the nape of Matt’s neck. “Sit with me?” he asked.

“Sure,” Matt smiled.

He was a little surprised though when the singer pulled them both down into the same chair, Josh’s legs spreading to support Matt’s hips. The guitarist had thought Josh meant sit beside him, not on him, but he wasn’t exactly going to complain. Josh was certainly just as comfy as any other place to sit.

“Where’s Mike?” Josh asked.

“I’ll go get him,” Ian volunteered before disappearing out of the kitchen.

Matt leaned back into Josh’s chest and the singer sucked in a breath. “Joshy, are you okay?”

Josh smiled and turned the younger man’s face to the side so he could seal their lips together for a moment. “I’m fine baby, just happy ‘s all.”

“Why?”

Josh laughed a little nervously. “We’ll talk about that after your presents.”

Matt huffed but rested against the singer anyways. “Alright.”

“Here he is! The birthday boy!” Mike’s voice boomed.

Both Matt and Josh jumped at the sound, Matt’s hand rising to rub at his temples though. His head was still hurting. Something was poking into his ass too, and it wasn’t the singer behind him. Matt squirmed for a second and pulled the object out of his pocket. He scowled when he found his phone. He usually never put his phone in his back pockets for fear of sitting on it and breaking it. But there it was, and it had to have been there the entire time he slept.

“What the hell is going on guys?” Matt asked.

All three men were instantly talking over one another, but stopped when Matt groaned and closed his eyes. He didn’t even want to know why Mike had been wearing thick sunglasses when he appeared. They were all acting so strange.

“Matty?” Josh murmured against the younger man’s neck.

“’M okay Josh, just have a headache.”

Ian stood abruptly. “I’ll get you medicine for that.”

“I’ll get you some water,” Mike offered.

“No milk, get him milk so we can give him our present,” Ian told him.

Mike nodded and went to the fridge instead. They were both scrambling around the kitchen while Matt watched in disbelief. They were never like this with him, even on birthdays, which was no longer the case for him. Ian brought him two little pills and Mike set a tall glass of milk on the table next to him. Matt didn’t move for a moment but Josh made a soft noise in the back of his throat and Matt took the medicine.

They all smiled at him, Josh’s lips curving against the skin of Matt’s shoulder.

“Time for breakfast then,” Ian stated happily.

Mike smiled too and went to the fridge again. He pulled out a large covered plate and set it in front of Matt before Ian swooped in and removed the lid with flourish. The two older men flung their arms out and bowed their heads low. Matt had to hold back his blatant laughter.

“Breakfast… is served!” Mike announced.

“Cake?” Matt asked.

“Chocolate,” Josh told him. “Your favorite right?”

Matt smiled and tilted his head to the side to see Josh smiling back. “Of course. But for breakfast?”

Ian flailed his hands around as he went to set the lid down on the counter and collected plates, forks, and a knife. “It’s more like a giant muffin. Muffins are healthy. There are chocolate muffins.”

Matt rolled his eyes but allowed the curly haired man to serve him a very large piece of cake. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was actually having a really wonderful morning, he just wasn’t sure why the guys were all being so wonderful to him. Usually they would all just pick at each other with banter back and forth until Josh came to Matt’s rescue.

Josh was quiet today though, just holding Matt tight to his chest, and singing softly into Matt’s ear.

“Love your voice Joshy,” Matt whispered. He turned enough to offer the singer a bite of his cake, and Josh opened his lips for Matt to feed him. The younger man smiled and placed the fork between Josh’s lips and pulled it back slowly when Josh’s lips closed over it.

The singer’s tongue darted out to lick up the traces of chocolate left on his lips and Matt felt heat rush to his cheeks at the sight. Wiggling in Josh’s lap he just went back to finishing his piece of cake though, and occasionally picked his phone up. He finally decided to scroll through twitter and was confused by some of the things he found.

Setting his fork down on his mostly empty plate, Matt scrolled through the pictures on his dash. Some had pictures, many of them of Josh, but then there was one Matt didn’t remember taking with the singer. He was in Josh’s arms, sitting at a table in the bar he vaguely remembered from the night before. He looked to be asleep as Josh was talking to a uniformed man.

And then there were the tweets.

 **@Treble_Child** : Hope @MattWebbMT is feeling better!

 **@feelingsmall79:** @MattWebbMT Love you Matty!!

 **@jiangxiaozheng:** Happy birthday @MattWebbMT  asaskdlicuawe8qhwp I hope                                                       that creep from the bar goes to jail! No body hurts our Matty!

 **@dltmh93:** way to go Mike, Ian, and Josh for taking care of @MattWebbMT last night! Feel                           better! :3

Matt frowned at that second to last one. The creep from the bar? He leaned back against Josh who was picking at his own plate of cake and showed him the screen.

“What’s all this about?” Matt asked.

Josh scanned the feed for a second, his face paling a bit, before tugging the phone from Matt’s fingers and setting it face down on the table. He swallowed thickly and looked at the younger man on his lap.

“It’s about what happened at the bar last night,” Josh mumbled.

“What? What the hell happened? Is this why I don’t remember?”

Mike and Ian shuffled uncomfortably in their seats. Matt looked to each of them in turn but none of them spoke up first.

“C’mon guys, I’m kind of freaking out a little right now. What happened?”

Josh sighed and so did Mike. The older of the two lifted his hands and removed the sunglasses from his eyes. Matt was shocked to find the bassist’s eye darkened by a deep bruise. The purple and black smudge went all around the underside of his eye and looked a little swollen. Matt sat forward on Josh’s lap before turning to face the singer a little more.

Josh wasn’t looking at Matt though, he was looking down at his own chest and Matt followed his gaze. He let out a small gasp when he found the same purple and black shade as Mike had had on his eye on Josh’s ribs and belly. This bruise looked less angry at the top, the color fading into Josh’s lower ribs, but the darker parts were travelling down low into the singer’s waistband. Matt pulled Josh’s face up to meet his eyes.

“What the hell happened last night?” he demanded.

“We took care of you Matty. You called me saying you were in trouble, and we got you out of it,” Josh said simply.

Matt scoffed. “So that’s why it looks like you two were in some sort of fight club?”

“Hey the first rule of fight club is we don’t talk about fight club, remember?” Ian chortled weakly.

Josh’s eyes clouded with anger and worry again. “You were in a lot of trouble.”

Matt would have been a little put off by Josh’s anger, but he could tell it wasn’t at him. He cupped the singer’s cheek in his hand, “What kind of trouble?”

The singer turned into the touch of Matt’s hand and kissed his wrist. “The kind that comes from a spiked drink,” he admitted softly.

The younger man frowned, leaning away from Josh a bit. He racked his brain for memories of the night before, but it only made his head hurt worse. Vaguely he got an image of a stranger, a bigger man pushing against him. Matt’s breath hitched and he scrambled out of Josh’s lap, stumbling to his feet.

“What the hell happened last night?” he demanded again.

Josh looked hurt as he reached out for Matt and the younger man moved away. “Nothing! That’s what we’re trying to tell you. We got to you in time. That guy, he’s not a problem anymore.”

Matt carded his hands through his hair, his head pounding as blurry images sifted through his mind. It was all so out of focus, but Matt could make out the feelings, the fear that had coursed through him. The revulsion. And then there was Josh.

At least that, Matt could remember. Josh had been there for him. They all had.

“Is that what all this is about then?” Matt asked, gesturing to the cake.

Josh nodded slowly.

“Why?” Matt questioned.

“I wanted to give you the birthday you deserved. Last night wasn’t right, you never should have been treated like that, and I wanted to show you that I could do better,” Josh admitted.

“That you could do better?”

Josh sighed and leaned his forearms down onto his knees, his head hanging. “What if we hadn’t been there Matty? What if he had… had… Look. I wanted to give you a good birthday after that asshole ruined last night. Can we… can we please just do this?”

Matt could see the desperation in Josh’s eyes. The singer needed this just as much as he felt Matt did. The guitarist nodded, his lips a thin line, and moved to sit down on the singer’s lap again. Josh enveloped him in his long arms, and held Matt tight.

“Where’s my other presents then?” Matt asked thickly. He was still struggling to calm his beating heart after what he had just been told. What he had vaguely remembered.

Mike smiled wide and scrabbled up from the table, Ian following the bigger man at a much slower pace. They both returned, Mike with a small box in his hand, and Ian with a shiny bag. The curly haired man set the bag down in front of Matt and the younger man peaked over the side to see inside. All he found was a bundle of white tissue paper though. He frowned and finally lifted his hands from where he had set them on Josh’s around his waist to tip the bag towards him. He ruffled around in the paper for a few seconds before huffing and pulling it out entirely.

“What the hell,” he murmured softly when a smaller object clattered to the table top. He picked the object up and examined it for a moment before a wide smile broke his lips.

Ian smiled and took the gift out of Matt’s hands before setting it on the table in front of them. Matt couldn’t help but love the framed photograph. The little silver frame held a picture of him and Josh, their lips pressed together in a kiss they had thought was private, but Matt didn’t really mind the intrusion as it had been given back in such a wonderful way.

“Thanks Ian,” Matt chirped.

The curly haired man just took his seat at the table again, and it was Mike’s turn to present Matt with a gift. The older man was practically vibrating with excitement as he handed Matt the little box. Matt took it with a smile, admiring the clean wrapping before pulling at the tape carefully. Underneath was just more tape around the edges of the box, and Matt pulled at that too until he could flip the top open and look inside.

Matt laughed and pulled the aviators from the box, slipping them on and striking an over exaggerated pose. Josh chuckled too, poking at the frames as Ian tried to get Mike to sit down.

“These are awesome man!” Matt told the bassist.

“Right?” Mike gushed, clearly excited. “I bought them while we were on tour. Really good quality too, stainless steel frames and the lenses-”

“We get it Mikey,” Ian elbowed the bigger man’s ribs, “they’re cool specks. Now give it a rest.”

Mike let out a puff of dejected air, but settled down into his seat again and picked at his half eaten slice of cake.

Matt turned on Josh’s lap and the singer smiled as he saw his own image reflected in the mirrored lenses of the younger man’s knew sunglasses. They looked really good with Matt’s rumpled appearance, the younger man’s hair looking tousled and sexy.

“What about your gift Joshy?” Matt asked.

With that, the singer flushed, but smiled. “I, uh, left it in my jacket pocket. It’s back in the room.”

Ian chortled and slapped Mike on the shoulder. “Time to go big guy.”

Mike nodded his agreement and rose from his chair without another word, taking his plate of cake with him. Josh reached out to them though.

“Keep your phones on, yeah? I’ll call you after-”

Mike laughed and pointed his fork at Josh, “Don’t need the details of your ‘gift’ Ramsay.”

Josh huffed. “Just keep your damn phones on.”

“Fine, fine. We’ll talk to you later then. Happy birthday again Matty,” Mike called over his shoulder.

When the two older men were gone, Josh looked up again to find Matt watching him with a smile, the sunglasses removed and set aside on the table. Josh opened his mouth to speak, but his lips were instantly covered by Matt’s. Groaning softly, Josh held Matt tighter and licked into the younger man’s mouth.

Pulling back just enough to breathe after a long moment of just pressing against one another, Matt smiled. “You taste like chocolate.”

Josh smiled too. “So do you, but better.”

“Better how?”

“You just taste like you Matty, so good,” Josh whispered. He let his tongue slip out and trace the edge of Matt’s bottom lip, causing the younger man’s eyes to flutter shut as he let out a heavy breath.

“Joshy… about that gift…”

The singer smirked and moved his hands to get a better grip on the younger man, one arm beneath his legs and the other behind his back. Without warning, Josh lifted up and got to his feet. Matt squeaked and held on for dear life as Josh hurried them back to his bedroom. His lips found Josh’s neck and covered the skin there with sloppy kisses. The singer chuckled softly as he kicked the door shut behind him and moved to lay the younger man down on the mattress they had vacated not too long before.

Matt smiled and let his hands slip away from Josh’s neck as he scooted back on the bed so he was lying in the center of it. Josh still stood to the side, watching, and Matt moved so his legs were spread a little wider.

“You’re not gonna just watch are you Joshy?” Matt asked, licking his lips.

Josh didn’t answer right away, but when he did it was with his hands. He lifted his fingers to the snap of his jeans and quickly undid the button before sliding the zipper open. Matt smiled wide and did the same with his own pants. Josh moved to the end of the bed and leaned down to take hold of the bottom of Matt’s jeans, and pulled.

“Josh!”

Matt couldn’t help the peal of laughter that bubbled up in his chest. The singer had nearly pulled him all the way off the bed. But then again, he was now pressed tightly to Josh’s middle. Matt’s bum was on the very edge of the mattress, his legs hanging off, and toes just brushing the carpet. His thighs were on either side of Josh’s waist, and Matt lifted his feet back up so he could wrap his legs around the singer. Josh let out a soft breath and smiled.

“Matty, this isn’t exactly the gift I have for you,” Josh tried.

Matt smiled and pushed his hips down to try and get a little friction started between them. Josh gasped and gripped the younger man’s thighs.

“I-I wanted to give you something else…”

“But Joshy,” Matt pouted as he rocked his hips onto the singer again, “this is what I want.”

Josh’s eyes were closed tight, his hands sliding across the younger man’s skin to rest behind Matt’s knees. He lifted up; pulling Matt’s legs open a little wider, and thrust forward. Matt moaned as the singer’s jean clad erection pushed against him. But he wanted more. Fuck, he wanted so much more.

“Joshy,” Matt whined, “Joshy please.”

The singer leaned down so he could seal their lips together, capturing Matt’s words with his mouth. The younger man latched on, his arms winding around Josh’s shoulders and holding him close. When Josh finally pulled back for air, he pumped his hips again, making Matt’s head fall back on the bed as the younger man strained against him.

“Alright Matty,” Josh hummed, “I’ll give you what you want.”

Josh wrapped his arms under Matt’s waist and lifted him up so he could center him on the bed again, following close behind so he stayed pressed against the younger man’s middle. When Matt’s head was resting on the pillows behind them, Josh settled down, pressing his chest down to the younger man’s. Matt’s fingers found Josh’s hair and pulled tight, tugging until the older man’s mouth was hovering just over Matt’s.

The singer’s lips spread into a wide grin and he dipped down to lick into the younger man’s mouth, drawing a moan from him. Josh moved then so he could push away their jeans and boxers completely, hooking his thumbs into Matt’s first and trying to work them down the younger man’s hips. Without breaking the kiss, Matt dropped his hands to help, lifting his hips and kicking the material off when it was low enough. Josh’s pants and boxers went next and they were finally skin to skin.

Matt whined softly at the back of his throat and trailed his lips across the singer’s jaw line. “Joshy… please…want you Joshy…”

Josh cooed softly into the younger man’s ear. “I know baby, I’ll take care of you.”

The singer pulled away only long enough to retrieve a small bottle of lube from his bedside drawer, and then was leaning back on his heels so he could spread Matt’s legs a little further. Matt understood and lifted his legs so his feet were flat on the mattress before letting his knees fall away to the sides. He was completely exposed, and Josh had to take a few breaths to control the intense need that boiled down in his lower belly. He wanted to push in so badly, but he didn’t want to hurt Matt.

Snapping open the lid of the lube, Josh poured a generous amount onto his fingers and brought it to the younger man’s tight ring of muscles. He circled the rim, getting it slick, and slowly pushed in a single digit. Matt puffed out a soft breath and tilted his hips to accept the intrusion until Josh was knuckle deep. He waited until he felt the muscles relax and began pumping his finger in and out at a lazy pace, curling and uncurling his finger until Matt was whining for more.

“Joshy, please, please,” Matt writhed on the bed. His hands were clenched into fists in the blanket.

Josh responded, prodding the tight ring with a second finger, and stretched Matt a little wider. “Matty,” he breathed, “so good. You’re doing so good for me.”

The singer scissored his fingers and dragged them in and out. He could feel the muscles relax around his hand, and added a third digit. Matt arched off the bed, moaning low in his throat and straining against the mattress. Josh was awed at the sight, Matt’s legs spread wide for him, and the younger man’s tight little hole opening up. The ring of muscle around Josh’s fingers was red and swollen from all of the attention, and shining with the slick of the lube.

And then there was Matt’s hard length. His cock, resting solidly on the younger man’s stomach, was leaking pre cum and smearing it just under his belly button. Josh wanted nothing more than to dip down and clean the younger man’s lower belly with his tongue. So that was exactly what he did.

Shuffling around a bit, the singer kept his fingers pumping evenly into Matt’s tight heat, but was able to lean down and flick his tongue against the younger man’s skin. He lapped at the shiny liquid dripping from Matt’s cock, sucking softly at the tip to taste more of it. The guitarist keened loudly, tugging harshly on Josh’s hair, and thrashed on the bed.

“No, no, no! Joshy wait!” Matt shouted.

Josh could feel the younger man’s entrance clamp down on his fingers and stopped all movement. Tilting his head up he caught sight of the beautiful agony he had put the guitarist in, and it made his own cock ache. Matt’s muscles were taut, frozen as he tried to hold off on the orgasm that had nearly barreled through him. His panting was fast and shallow, his cheeks flushed as he craned his neck.

When he was finally able to calm down, his muscles trembled and he let out a heavy breath. “J-Joshy…”

The singer smiled and made his way up the younger man’s body, trailing his lips along Matt’s ribs and the center of his chest along the way. “Tell me what you need Matty.”

“You, Joshy, you. Please. Please fuck me. Please,” Matt whimpered. He rocked his hips down hard on the singer’s fingers and let out a soft mewl.

Josh brushed his lips over the younger man’s, keeping the pressure feather light and barely there. Matt strained for more, but the singer moved with him, staying just out of reach. “I love you,” he murmured.

Matt’s eyes fluttered open, his gaze unfocused and blurry. His browns found Josh’s blues though, and he smiled weakly, already feeling entirely too blissed out. “I love you too,” he whispered.

Finally, Josh let his mouth drop down for a hungry kiss. Matt whined into the singer’s mouth, the noise turning into whimpers and moans as Josh twisted his wrist and pumped his fingers in a few more times before pulling out. The younger man gave a slight sob of protest, but Josh was quickly coating his cock with lube and pressing the head of his length against Matt’s entrance.

“Please,” Matt gasped against Josh’s lips. “Please Joshy, I need you.”

Josh nuzzled into the guitarist’s neck and feathered kisses there. “I’ve got you Matty. I’ll take care of you, give you what you need. Love you so much.”

The singer continued to whisper into Matt’s ear, laying soft kisses to his heated skin, and began to slowly push forward. His tip sank in, catching slightly on Matt’s rim of muscles before sliding in farther. Smoother. Working his hips back and forth, pushing in and pulling out in tiny little thrusts, Josh was soon fully enveloped in the younger man’s tight heat. Matt was panting below him, his chest heaving as he clung to Josh’s shoulders, and Josh stayed still to allow him to fully adjust.

“G-god Joshy,” Matt groaned. “F-feels… fuck…”

“Are you okay baby?”

Matt wiggled his hips, somehow pulling the singer in just that much deeper, and his head fell back onto the pillows as if it were too heavy. “I’m o-okay… ‘s good… fuck Joshy, so good. D-don’t stop. Please. Please don’t stop Joshy.”

Josh let his forehead drop down to the younger man’s shoulder, his hair sticking to Matt’s skin and his own face from their sweat, and nodded. He centered his weight on one arm and traced the fingers of his other hand along Matt’s thigh, pulling the younger man’s leg up to wrap around his waist. Matt followed his lead and hooked his other leg around the singer’s back as well, linking his ankles and digging his heels into Josh’s lower back.

The singer breathed a little harder, shifted so his knees were a little wider and arched his spine so his cock pulled out, dragging along the younger man’s tight heat. Matt moaned softly, his fingers digging a little deeper into Josh’s shoulder blades, and tilted his hips in anticipation. Josh took a quick breath and let it out long and slow as he thrust back in, keeping his pace even with the air he pushed through his lips.

Matt shivered at the feeling of the singer’s breath cooling his heated skin, his arms and legs also shaking as he was filled again. Josh’s arms were on either side of Matt’s ribs, framing his torso, and his head still rested on the younger man’s chest. Matt couldn’t help but feel the singer everywhere, all around him, inside him. It was ecstasy. He carded his fingers into the singer’s hair at the base of his neck and tugged softly. He wanted to feel him on his lips too.

“J-Joshy… Joshy c’mere,” Matt whined.

The singer lifted up, his lips already parted in a pant as he curled his spine again and pushed farther in. Matt gasped, his fingers tightening in the singer’s hair, and had to wait for the sparks of pleasure to pass before he could focus again. Josh was looking down at him, his eyes glassy with the pleasure as Matt knew his own were, but he was smiling. Matt loved the blush of color on the singer’s cheeks. He had done that to him. Well, his body had, but Matt still took pride in the fact that Josh was just as overwhelmed with this as Matt was.

Matt brushed the bangs away from Josh’s eyes and lifted up to slot their mouths together. Their lips slid against each other and Josh pushed down, licking into Matt’s mouth and nibbling on his lips. The younger man let the singer take the lead, let him control the kiss and everything else. He just held on, his fingers still threaded through Josh’s blond and blue hair.

Josh huddled in closer, allowed one hand to splay across Matt’s hip, and began to move. He held Matt firmly with that one hand and pulled his hips back, almost all the way out. Matt broke the kiss in a panic.

“Wh-what are you doing? Joshy please! I need you,” he sobbed.

Josh shushed him, rubbing soft circles into his hip with his fingers. “Not going anywhere Matty. Staying right here.”

And with that the singer thrust forward, slamming into the younger man and making him cry out. Matt clung to him then, his arms thrown around Josh’s neck and just holding him close. Josh loved the way their chests rubbed together as he fucked in and out of the younger man’s tight heat. It was all so slick, so smooth. Josh panted into the younger man’s neck as he worked his hips, licking the soft skin there before biting down and sucking a small bruise to the surface.

Matt keened, his head thrown back on the pillows, his hips tilting up and pushing down with each of Josh’s thrusts, matching the singer’s movements with his own. Without warning though, the singer’s hand wrapped around Matt’s neglected cock, tugging on the swollen length and making the younger man nearly scream.

When Josh flicked his wrist just right though, and thrust his cock in at just the right angle, Matt did scream.

“Josh!” Matt sobbed.

The singer didn’t stop though, and Matt probably would have killed him if he had. He kept going, harder, faster.  With every thrust he knew he was hitting Matt’s prostate, the little bundle of nerves turning raw as the head of Josh’s cock bumped and rubbed it deep inside him. And his hand. Fuck, Josh’s hand just kept working, tugging, pulling. Twisting and squeezing. His thumb would swipe over Matt’s slit on every upward tug.

And Matt’s mind was short circuiting. He couldn’t think. Couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t do anything but feel as Josh completely took over his body. His spine tingled every time he was filled again and again, his lower belly coiling tight as the singer worked his cock, and his chest ached from all the heavy breathing. Soft noises tumbled from his lips, little whines and whimpers. Mewling little pleas for the release the singer’s body was pushing him towards.

Josh’s lips found Matt’s ear, his voice bringing the younger man a focus he thought he may have lost completely. “Matty,” Josh moaned, “come on Matty. Let me feel you cum.”

Matt whimpered and his back arched as Josh’s words washed over him. He was shaking.

“Come on,” the singer urged again. He tightened his grip on the younger man’s cock and thrust forward at a quicker pace. “Cum for me Matty. Now. Right now.”

“Josh!” Matt screamed again as his body shook apart.

His cock jumped in the singer’s grasp, thick streams of cum coating Josh’s hand and the younger man’s stomach. Matt’s muscles clamped down impossibly tighter around the singer’s length, pulling him in deeper even as the singer continued to fuck him through. His nails dug into Josh’s shoulders, forming little crescent shaped scratches.

“Fuck,” Josh breathed. He tried to simultaneously arch away from the bursts of pain on his back, and arch towards it.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Josh finally let himself go. He could feel the last of Matt’s cum dribble onto his fingers and the younger man’s body relaxing around him. His own orgasm ripped through him, his hips stuttering forward as his cock began to release inside Matt’s heat, and his lungs felt too heavy for his chest.

When he felt the last tremor of his release roll through him, Josh collapsed onto the younger man’s chest, one hand still trapped between their bodies and his cock still buried deep inside the younger man.

“J-Joshy…” Matt breathed.

The younger man was still giving off small little mewling noises, his arms wrapping around the singer’s shoulders. He cradled the singer with his legs and arms, waiting until Josh caught his breath again to let him move. And when the singer was able to do so, he only lifted up enough to seal their lips together in a sloppy kiss.

“I love you Matty,” Josh murmured against the younger man’s mouth.

Matt whimpered softly and pulled Josh back down to keep their lips together. He opened to the singer and sighed when Josh slipped his tongue inside. Matt sucked weakly, shivering as Josh’s tongue piercing rubbed against the roof of his mouth, and slowly released Josh from his grasp.

“I love you too Joshy,” Matt spoke softly.

Josh nuzzled into Matt’s neck for a split second, just pushing against him softly, before moving so he could push up onto his hands and knees. He didn’t care that his cum covered hand was messing the blanket, but when his cock slipped from Matt’s body, the younger man whined. Turning them onto their sides Josh cuddled up to the younger man.

“Are you okay Matty?”

Matt’s eyes were still unfocused, but he nodded. “Mhmm.”

“I still have to give you your real present,” Josh smiled.

The younger man frowned and tried to burrow into Josh’s chest. “Mm-mm. Too tired.”

Josh chuckled softly at how adorable the guitarist was. He certainly loved this man. “Just wait here okay?” Josh pulled away slightly, making Matt whine again. “Just need to grab it out of my jacket.”

Matt huffed dejectedly, but stayed where he was. Josh quickly slid off the bed, wobbling slightly when his legs nearly gave out under him, and rummaged through his room to try and find the jacket he had discarded the night before. When he finally found it, he pulled the small item out of the pocket and crawled back onto the bed where he had been before. Matt curled against him again, his eyes closed, and Josh kissed the very tip of the younger man’s nose.

“Don’t fall asleep on me Matty, I-I really want to give this to you,” Josh murmured.

The guitarist puffed out a soft breath, but leaned back enough to see Josh’s face, one hand resting on the singer’s waist. “What is it Joshy?”

For the first time, Josh looked a little uncertain. His fingers were clutching the small item in his hands, and he lifted his closed fists so Matt could see.

“I…I love you Matty,” Josh started, “and I want you to know just how much.”

“Already showed me how much Joshy,” Matt smiled softly.

Josh laughed, but the sound was still a little worried. Keeping one hand over the small present in his hand, he lifted the other one to brush his knuckles across Matt’s cheek. “I wanted this to be special and all… but then last night…and-and I didn’t know what to do…”

“Joshy,” Matt urged.

The singer’s blue eyes were wide as he looked into Matt’s. “I love you,” he said yet again, “and I want to ask you a question.”

Matt frowned in confusion, but before he could say anything Josh was revealing the present in his hand, a small little velvet box, and lifting the lid. Matt stopped breathing then.

“W-will you marry me?” Josh asked with a small voice.

Matt’s fingers tightened around Josh’s waist, holding on as if he might be lost if he didn’t.

There, in the little box was a silver ring.

Matt didn’t move, didn’t speak. Couldn’t. His chest ached with how much he loved the man before him.

Josh seemed to take the silence differently though. “I-I mean, I know this is kind of sudden…but I love you Matty… and-and we’ve known each other for so long. I’ve wanted to ask you since we first started dating… and…I mean, we don’t have to do anything right away if you don’t want to…”

“Yes,” Matt breathed.

Josh froze, his eyes meeting Matt’s. “Yes?”

Matt smiled wide, finally allowing his excitement to show. He shuffled closer to the singer, lifting a shaking hand to grip Josh’s wrist. “Yes. I’ll marry you Josh. Yes.”

The singer laughed excitedly, his face breaking into a wide grin. His own hands were shaking, more so than Matt’s, as he pulled the little silver ring from its box and took Matt’s left hand in his. Matt spread his fingers out and waited.

“I love you,” Josh whispered as he slid the ring on Matt’s fourth finger.

It fit perfectly.

Matt giggled, the cool metal making him happier than he thought he ever could be. He just looked at it, that silver against his tan. And then he launched himself at the singer, peppering his face with wet and sloppy kisses as he hugged Josh tight. The singer was laughing, his face wet with more than just Matt’s kisses, and he held the younger man back just as tightly.

“I love you,” Matt chanted. “I love you, I love you, I love you.”

Josh eventually pinned the younger man down, hovering over him once again. His face was flushed from all the excitement and his eyes were shining brightly. “I love you too.”

Matt smiled, his cheeks hurting from how wide. Josh’s fingers were laced through his, pressing the ring into Matt’s skin, and he loved it.

“We should call Mike and Ian,” Josh suggested. “I wanted them to be the first to know.”

Matt laughed again, leaning up to press a kiss to Josh’s lips before nodding. Josh smiled and kissed Matt back for a moment. He kept their hands linked as he moved towards his bedside table and grabbed his phone. Matt settled behind him, his thighs framing Josh’s waist, and his arm looping around to Josh’s front to keep their fingers twined together.

Josh dialed Ian’s phone first and waited. As the ringing started on the line, Matt laid soft kisses to Josh’s neck, nipping slightly at the skin.

“Hello?” Ian’s voice sounded from the speaker.

“Are you still with Mike?” Josh asked.

“Yeah, what’s up? Thought you were busy… giving Matt his present.”

“Put your phone on speaker,” Josh told him. He was barely holding in his excitement.

There was slight shuffling on the other side of the phone, and then Mike spoke up. “We don’t want to hear you having sex Josh.”

Before Josh could say anything though, Matt was leaning heavily on his back to get closer to the phone. “He gave me a ring!”

Silence.

“What?” They both asked.

Josh blushed even though the two men on the other line couldn’t see him. “I- uh… I asked Matt to marry me,” he giggled.

Silence.

And then the phone exploded with noise. Mike and Ian were yelling, shouting something that Josh and Matt couldn’t understand.

Matt laughed and leaned forward again. “And I said yes!”

The statement must have gotten through to the older men, because somehow the noise level got even louder.

“We’ll be right there!” Mike’s strained voice sounded through the speaker.

Matt and Josh laughed as the line went dead, a little shocked by that reaction, but pleased nonetheless. Matt was still pressed close to Josh’s back, hanging on his shoulders and resting his head against Josh’s spine. He kissed the skin beneath his lips as Josh played with Matt’s fingers.

“I love you Joshy. Thank you for the best birthday I’ve ever had.”

Josh leaned back onto Matt and turned his head in search of the younger man’s lips. Matt sat up a bit to give him what he was looking for and they stayed like that for a long moment. Josh pulled back with a smile when he needed to breathe.

“Thank you for saying yes,” he murmured.

Matt smiled, nuzzling into Josh’s cheek. “I’ll always say yes Joshy.”

The singer smiled wide and pulled the younger man back in for another soft kiss.


End file.
